Knitting ribbon supporting device



March 17, 1953 J. l.. Ril-:ss

KNITTING RIBBON SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed June 15, 1250 1N VEN TOR.

BY ffl! rraeA/EV Patented Mar. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE 2,631,793 KNITTING RIBBON SUPPORTING DEVICE John L. Riess, Glendale, Calif. Application June 15, 1950, Serial N0. 168,256

2` claims. (o1. 242-139) This invention relates to spool or reel holders for spools or reels of flat type used in hand knitting and vparticularly'to a form thereof adapted to'permit the removal of twists in the tape which are lformed incident to the formation of knitting stitches. i

In recent years,thevogue or hobby of hand knitting has come into being and many new materials are employed. One such material is a narrow, flat tape or ribbon. The hand knitting operation is primarily the formation of a succession of half hitches over the knitting needles and each such half hitch or stitch puts a twist into the bight of material between the ball, spool or other supply and the point of stitch formation. On round, twisted materials, such as yarn, the twisting action is of no moment, but in the use of flat tapes or ribbons the accumulated twists quickly retard the knitting operation until the work or the supply is turned suiiiciently to remove the twists. This untwisting is both time consuming and laborious and generally makes the knitting operation unattractive and unenj oyable.

The present invention recognizes these drawbacks and the principal object of the invention is to provide a freely rotatable mounting for the tape spool or reel so that with a minimum of time and effort the knitter may spin the support and reel sufficiently to untwist the tape.

Another object of the invention is to provide a support for a reel or spool of tape to be used for hand knitting which permits the ready untwisting of the tape, which is composed of few parts, and which is economical to produce and reliable in operation.

With the above objects in view, together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention consists of the parts, and the construction, combination and arrangement of parts described, by way of example, in the following specication of one mode of execution of the invention; reference being had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of said specification and in which drawings: Y Y

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a tape spool or reel holder embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional View taken on the lines 4-4-4 of Figs. 1 and 2.-

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a flat plate base member I of generally equilateral triangular form in plan each apex of the base plate having ra suction cup 2 attached to the under side thereof. At its center, the base member I is provided with a bored hole 3 into which the outer rim 4 of a ballv bear'- ing assembly 5 is vpressed or otherwise rigidly secured.

Attached to the inner race member 6 of the ball bearing assembly 5 by a nut 1 is the lower end of a vertical rod 8 which at its upper end is bent slightly out of its axial line as at 9 and terminates in a loop portion Ill into which the outer rim or race Il of a ball bearing assembly I2 is pressed or otherwise secured. Extending through the center opening I3 of the inner race I4 of the ball bearing assembly I2 is a bolt I5 the head I6 of which engages one end face of the member I4. The bolt I5 is adapted to extend through the hub opening of a reel or spool R carrying a supply of tape and a thumb nut I1 on the distal end of the bolt I5 provides a means whereby the spool or reel may be clamped against the opposite end face of the race member I4 with the interpositon of such washers W as may be found desirable or necessary. Additionally, the base member I may be provided with one or more pins I8 on which spools or yarn or cord used in combination with the tape in knitting may be mounted for convenience.

In knitting with the tape, as successive stitches put twists in the tape, the knitter can from time to time rotate the rod 8 and the reel carried thereby to untwist the tape. Due to the ball bearing mounting for the rod, with resultant freel dom to turn, a quick tap on the side of the reel will cause it to rotate several times with resultant untwisting of the tape and perhaps a. moderate amount of twisting in the opposite direction; the latter being removed by the knitting operation. The ease with which the untwisting may be effected, adds greatly to the usefulness of the device and in fact makes knitting with tape practically as quick as knitting with yarn or yarn like materials.

While in the foregoing specification, I have disclosed generally the broader aspects of the problem and the solution thereof, and while I have described and illustrated one embodiment of means for realizing the objects of the invention in practice, I do not intend thereby to limit myself to the specific embodiment disclosed and the invention embraces all such modiiications in the parts and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall come within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Supporting means for reels of ribbon like materials used in hand knitting comprising a generally triangular, plate like, horizontal base member, a ball bearing assembly having the outer race thereof xed in said base member, a vertically disposed rod having the lower end thereof fixed to and rotatable with the inner race mem-ber of said bearing assembly and devices carried by the upper end of said rod constructed and arranged to detachably support a reel of ribbon like material for free rotation about a horizontal axis; said devices comprising a loop at the upper end of said rod, a second bearing assembly comprising outer and inner races having the outer race xed in said loop and a bolt and nut operable to clamp a reel of ribbon like material to one end of the. inner race of said second bearing assembly for rotation therewith. y

2. Supporting means .for reels of ribbon like materials used `in hand .knitting lcomprising Va generally triangular, plate like, horizontal base membenra ball bearing assembly having the-outer race thereof fixed ink saidA base member, avertically disposed rod: having. the, lower end thereof -xed toand'rotatable-with'the inner race member of said bearing assembly and devices carried by the upper end of said rod constructed and arranged to detaohably support a reel of ribbon like material'for free rotation about a horizontal axis; said devices comprising a loop at the upper end of said rod, a second bearing assembly comprising outer and inner races having the outer race xed in said loop and a bolt and nut operable to clamp a reel of ribbon like material to said inner race for rotation therewith.; thel axis.; of said second bearing assembly being disposed'at right angles to and being laterally offset from the axial line of said iirst-named bearing assembly.

VJOHN L. RIESS.

REFERENCES CITED The-:following references are of record in the le of this patent:V

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

